Pneumatic action for musical instruments



vPatentd May 11, 1920.

W. C. COLLIGNON.

PNEUIVIATIC ACTION Ij'OR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 27. IQIII.

UN ITEI) STATES PATENL'I" OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. 4COLLIGNON, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Application led November 27, 1918.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. Con- LiGNoN, a citizen of the United States residing at Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Actions for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in a pneumatic action for musical instruments, the operation of which is controlled by a perforate sheet` or record strip, in its movement over a perforate tracker board.

My invention comprises a self contained pneumatic action especially adapted for use in automatic pianos, a suitable number of which, one for each piano action, together with a suitable exhaust pump or bellows, constitutes a so called piano player.

l One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, to construct, selfcontained pneumatic action, that may quickly and bodily be removed from its operative position without disturbing` other actions with which it may be associated.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pneumatic action that may be incorporated in new pianos and as easily and quickly be inserted inthe space between the sticker rods and the fall board of existing pianos, without necessity for changing the piano construction in any way.

Another object of my invention is to make the pneumatic action eiiicient but small, so that it may be arranged in a plurality of tiers, below the piano actions and between the fall board and the sticker rods, the only addition to the usual parts of the piano being the laterally projecting abutments required for engagement with the movable members of the bellows to lift the sticker rods.

And lstill another object of my invention is to provide a pneumatic action that will `in no way interfere with the free operation of the piano when manually played.

Other and further objects of my invention will becomev readily apparent to persons skilled inthe art', from a consideration of vthe following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Figure l"1 is a side lelevation showing two pneumatic actions arranged in double tiers.`

Fig. 2 is a section of the same taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedMay 11, 1920.

Serial No. 264,290.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

In the drawings, 5 is the usual piano key pivoted, as at 6, as usual, and having, near its inner end, a capstan screw 7, adjustable in Contact with the lower end of the sticker rod 8. The sticker rod is intended to move the wippens in the usual piano action. The wippens 'and the piano actions are not shown. is the pneumatic action, each connected to the wind trunk 11 by two screws 12 and 13.V The main portions of the pneumatic action consist of the relatively stationary member 14 and the movable member 15, connected together by a bellows fold 16. The member 15 is fulcrumed at 18 so that when the forward end 19 is depressed, the rear ex tended end 2O is elevated. Projecting laterally from each of the sticker rods, of the series 8, is an abutment or projection 22, within which is threaded an adjusting screw 23, on the end of which is a cap 24, that is immediately above the end 2O of the member 15, so that when the end 20 of the member 15 is raised, the respective sticker rod is raised to operate the piano action. blow-regulating screw 26 determines the extent to which the inner end 2O of the member 15 will be raised, by the contact which it makes by the part 26', within the bellows fold or wind chest. The space between the members 14 and 15 covered by the bellows fold 16 constitutes the wind chest for operation of the member 15. The wind chest is connected by a lead hole 27, with a recess 28 that is made in the undersurface of the member 14, constituting a valve chamber for a valve 29. lThe air inlet lead 30 communicates through the chamber 28 with the wind trunk 81 and being horizontally disposed dirt cannot fall into the action. rIlhe trunk consists of an elongated sheet metal channel 32, having outwardly extending flanges 33 covered its full length by a metal plate 34, there being the proper gasket or gasket strips 35, between the flanges andthe edges of the plate. The lplate is perforated at regular intervals to provide ports, which permit the valve stems 37 to pass therethrough and the valve'stems are provided with guides 38 that loosely fit the ports and which hold the valves centrally thereof. `Within the channel 32 and extending longitudinally thereof, is a diaphragm-supporting strip 40, preferabl of wood, having a series of round, spacer apart chambers 41, one for each pneumatic action, f'each of which chambers is covered by a diaphragm 42 connected to and lying upon which is a central plate 43. A bleed hole or lead 44 connects the chamber 41, below the diaphragm, with the interior 45 of the wind trunk. In a hole 46, which communicates with the chamber 41, is a vent tube 48 to which is connected a flexible tube 49 that leads to the tracker board (not shown) of the instrument. The valve 29 is provided with two disks, the lower disk 50 and the upper disk 51. The stem 37 of the lower disk is hollow to admit a stem 52 of the upper disk. The stem 52 may also carry washers 53 that separate the disks 50 and 51, to a greater or less extent, in accordance with the number of washers contained on the stem 52 so as to make the effective Width or thickness of the valve variable, to any extend desired, and which has the effect to vary the throw or movement of the valve.

The upper disk 51 is adapted to close the port 30 and the lower disk 52 to close the alining port 34 as the valve is raised or depressed, respectively.

The chamber 45, of the wind trunk 31, may be exhausted by connection to the nipple 56, by any suitable means, such as an air pump, bellows, or the like, that is customary for such use in devices of this character.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows: lVhen air is admitted to the vent tube 49, by a perforation in the tracker roll passing over an opening in the tracker board, the diaphragm 42 is forced upwardly, by the incoming air, the pressure under the diaphragm, for this reason being made higher than the pressure above it within the chamber 47 of the wind chest. This action raises the valve 29 and closes the air inlet tube 30 and opens the port normally closed by the valve 29 in the plate 34, thus drawing the air from the wind chest 47 and causing the bellows fold to collapse, thereby depressing or bringing down the end 19 of the member 15, and raising the end 20. This latter end, in turn, raises the sticker rod 8, which operates the wippens of the piano action and sounds the tone represented bythe key with which the pneumatic action is associated. So soon as the perforation in the tracker roll passes over the vent in the tracker board, with which the vent tube 49 registers, and the latter tube becomes again closed, then the diaphragm 42 will fall, as a result of the weight of the plate 43, permitting the valve to fall and close the port in the plate 34 and open the port leading to the opening or orilice 30 and permitting the atmospheric air to enter through the lead tube 30, into the wind chest 47, whereupon the weight of the` sticker rod 8 will cause the outer end 19 of the member 15 to be raised and the inner end 2O to be depressed, thereby restoring the parts to their normal positions. So long as the vent tube 49 remains open, the bellows will be contracted and the associated sticker rod 8 will be maintained in an elevated position, but so soon as the vent or tracker tube 49 is again closed, atmospheric air will enter the wind chest of the bellows and permit its expansion in the manner heretofore described.

The series of players mounted on a coininon wind trunk may be supported upon a bracket 58 by screws, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 or by any other means for holding them in place.

lVhile I have herein shown a single embodiment ofmy invention for the purpose of clear disclosure it is manifest that many changes may be made in the general arrangement and configuration of the parts within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A pneumatic action structure having in combinative association a horizontally extending, continuous wind trunk, of channel formation having laterally extending side flanges; a top cover plate, perforated at intervals overlying said channel and flanges and a longitudinally extending series of pneumatic motor actions, supported above said plate, and thereon, having openings in their bottom walls registering with the respective openings in said plate and a screw, at each end of each action, passing through the flanges of said trunk structure and cover to hold said action in place.

2. A pneumatic piano player having in combination a continuous longitudinally extending wind trunk, of channel formation for support by a piano frame and having laterally extending flanges at its longitudinal edges; a top plate perforated at intervals to provide valve ports and overlying said channel and flanges and a series of 1ongitudinally extending pneumatic actions each covering a port and having a valve to normally close the respective ports; a diaphragm supporting strip within said wind trunk channel, having a series of chambered depressions, each covered by a diaphragm, and valves normally covering the said ports operable by gravity in one direction and by said diaphragm in the other direction, to connect and disconnect the wind chests of said actions with the wind chamber in said trunk.

8. A pneumatic action structure having in combinative association a plurality of horizontally extending wind chests arranged in vertical tiers, each chest having flanges and a cover top overlying each said Wind chest and flanges, perforated at suitable intervals; a series of spaced apart, independently operable pneumatic motor actions, each having a perforation in its bottom Wall registering With a perforation in the top cover upon Which it is mounted, each action being held in place by a screw at each of its ends Which passes through the respective edge of the Wind chest and through the top cover into the action, to hold the parts together.

4. A structure substantially as described having in combinative association a channel, 32, With integral side flanges, 33: a top plate, 34, overlying both flanges and having WILLIAM C. COLLIGNON.

I hereunto sub- 

